One of the things we love most about the Studio Pilates network is the diversity of our franchisees. From Pilates instructors who wanted to turn their passion into profits right through to corporate CEO’s who wanted to expand their investment portfolios, Studio Pilates attracts franchisees from all different walks of life, including physiotherapists who reap an abundance of benefits from opening a Pilates studio.

One of the most unique points of difference about Studio Pilates is that it was co-founded by a qualified physiotherapist, and as a result all exercises and programming are created with a sound biomechanical approach. For this reason, the Studio Pilates approach is a safe and effective program and the perfect environment for physios to recommend their clients for injury management and general well being.

Some of our physio qualified franchisees have left ‘hands-on treatment’ behind and moved into business ownership full time, while others have kept their career treating patients and added a Studio Pilates business to their overall investment portfolio.

Thanks to their qualifications, many physios can access special funding packages from banks making the loan acquisition process much easier and therefore entry into a Studio Pilates franchise a very appealing proposition.

One such example is Tom Wyer, a Sydney based physiotherapist who owns a clinic in the CBD and our Studio Pilates Bathurst franchisee. We took 5 with Tom to find out more about how both of his businesses benefit from one another.

Who referred you to Studio Pilates initially/ how did you find out about it? I had undertaken reformer and matwork training courses with Studio Pilates Education in the past and received an email at some point with all the information on purchasing a franchise.

What was the catalyst that inspired you to buy your first franchise? I’ve owned a physiotherapy practice in Sydney CBD for more than 14 years. I found I was regularly advising clients on introducing Pilates exercises to improve posture, for injury prevention and overall well being. Many of my clients would then ask me to recommend a Pilates studio and so I figured I could add this service to my existing Company.

I did create a Pilates service within my practice for 18-months, however there were a number of limitations. The small amount of space within the clinic meant the class sizes also needed to be small (only four clients at a time), so provided minimal financial benefit and it had quite a clinical feel about it.

Also with my Physiotherapy background I found I was limited in being able to provide a wide and interesting variety of Pilates exercises. It was also difficult to find physiotherapists who were adept in teaching Pilates to take on the classes to take the pressure off me being available all the time.

I realized that the Studio Pilates franchise model would solve a lot of the issues I was having running classes myself. It also came along with a marketing team and host of other resources that would streamline a successful venture.

What was your previous professional history prior to purchasing a franchise?

I completed my Undergraduate Physiotherapy degree at Sydney University in 2004 and worked in Hospitals and private practices before turning my attention to Sports Physiotherapy and spent 8 seasons working for the Cronulla Sharks and West Tigers NRL teams. During this time I opened a Physiotherapy practice in the Sydney CBD in 2007 and returned to University to attain a Masters in Sports Physio. I have been the Director of PhysiCo City, a Multidisciplinary clinic for the past 14 years.

Do you still work as a physiotherapist?

I do still work part time seeing clients and I still really enjoy the work and spend most of my time educating my staff. I am currently studying a concussion course which I would like to specialize in at some point in the future.

Did your physiotherapy clients feed into your Studio Pilates studios to assist with rehab and general wellbeing?

I am finding that almost all of my clients experience a weakness somewhere in their body and Pilates is the one form of exercise I feel safe referring my clients too for the fact that all the exercises are done with a neutral spine and the class can be modified in order to optimize each workout for all levels of client. It also targets all the right muscle groups which I think is fantastic for keeping clients aligned and in shape.

Had you been a business owner before/ did you have business experience prior to opening?

Yes, I had owned my Physiotherapy practice for 11 years at the time of going into the franchise venture. in 2007 I purchased an existing single operator Physiotherapy practice and built it up to 10x the size during this 11 year period now having 12 staff.

The franchise model was slightly different in the sense that there was now a team around me for support and with experience in different fields of business operations, which I have found has helped me transfer these skills back into my Physiotherapy practice. This comes in the form of marketing and HR which are areas I had little knowledge in prior to opening the Pilates Studio.

What would you say to anyone who is on the fence about buying a Studio Pilates studio?

The Studio Pilates franchise is a great option to add an adjacent service to your Physiotherapy practice whilst reducing the workload required to run a really streamlined Pilates studio. All classes are pre-recorded and automated to run daily and instructors can really run a great safe class with as little as 3 months experience. The HQ team are great and are really across the automation process for marketing and events and have a field of experience to tap into in different areas of the business.

For more information about franchising opportunities with Studio Pilates International, visit studiopilatesfranchise.com